


The Return Message

by voleuse



Category: Lost
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-04-17
Updated: 2005-04-17
Packaged: 2017-10-04 12:26:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voleuse/pseuds/voleuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>See the bridge that spans the flood</em>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Return Message

**Author's Note:**

> Set after "Do No Harm." Title and summary taken from _On a Good Day_ by Alicia Suskin Ostriker.

_i. philos_

"Vixen, right?"

At the question, Claire looks up from her journal and squints. "What?"

Shannon kicks at the sand a little, then points at the remnants of nail polish on Claire's toes. "The color. Vixen?"

Claire lifts her foot, still a little amazed at being able to _see_ her toes, and examines the faint traces of plum. "I think so." She grins. "It's been a while since the pedicure."

"Oh." She shoves her hands into the pockets of her khaki pants.

Claire looks back at her writing. Scribbles the end of her sentence, and tucks the pen against the page. Sets the book aside.

Shannon watches her actions with discomfort, and a little bit of hope. "You don't have to--"

"Don't be silly," Claire interrupts. Pats the sand next to her. "Take a load off."

Shannon hesitates, then nods. Crouches and sits on the sand.

"You've got nice legs," Claire remarks.

A glimmer of expression flashes over Shannon's face. "What?"

Claire laughs. "I don't mean it like that. I mean," she pauses, bites her lip. "I always wanted to have legs like yours. Longer, I guess."

"Really?" Shannon raises her eyebrows, then her lips quirk into a smile. "I think Charlie disagrees."

Claire ducks her head, feels a blush steal over her face. "Yeah."

Shannon doesn't say anything for a minute, and a peaceful silence settles over them. For a while, they just watch the waves lap against the sand.

"Where's the baby?" Shannon finally asks.

"He's with Charlie."

Shannon looks at her sidelong. "You guys are pretty close."

Claire smiles. "I guess so."

"Claire?" Shannon sounds hesitant, again. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

She looks at Shannon. "Yeah?"

"Well." Shannon wraps her arms around her knees. "How close _are_ you?"

"You mean--"

"Mm-hmm." Shannon leans sideways, curves her body, lowers her voice. "Have you guys ever--"

"No!" Claire startles herself with the exclamation, shakes her head. "I mean, there wasn't ever a time, before the baby was born. And then Jack thought..." She trails off, realizes just how much she's revealed.

Shannon laughs, a friendly, familiar crow. "You've been thinking about it," she teases.

Claire shrugs, tries to act casually, but Shannon pokes her in the arm. "Hey!"

"Don't pretend you haven't!"

She tries not to smile, but Shannon looks at her knowingly, and they both burst into laughter.

Claire hasn't laughed like this in months. Like she's just gossiping with one of her girlfriends.

It feels nice.

"What about you?" She waggles her eyebrows at Shannon. "And Sayid?"

Shannon's jaw works a couple of times, then she tilts her head. "Yeah."

"Oooh." Claire rests her chin in her hand. "He's gorgeous."

"Yes, he is." Shannon grins. "Charlie's cute, too."

Claire sighs. "Yeah. He's a sweetheart."

Silence again, and this time, warmer. Comfortable.

"You know," Shannon says, after a while. "I could watch the baby for a while. If you and Charlie want to--" She smirks.

Claire thinks about cracking a joke, but instead, she considers. "Really?"

Shannon nods. "Seriously." Then she smiles again. "I'll get Sayid to change the diapers."

"Deal." Claire extends a hand, and Shannon clasps it in her own.

They shake on it.

_ii. eros_

Together, Claire and Shannon track down Charlie.

He's sitting near the treeline, having what seems to be a very serious conversation with the baby. He waves as they get closer.

"Here come your mum and Shannon," he warns the baby. "I suppose they want to pinch your cheeks or something."

"Ha, ha," Claire enunciates.

"Remember, lad," Charlie continues, "not a word about that thing we talked about." He bounces the baby a couple of times, then passes him to Claire.

"Hello," Claire coos. The baby nuzzles against her, but doesn't root. "Not hungry yet? Good." She hands the baby to Shannon, who looks nervous, but doesn't fumble.

Charlie looks between the two women. "What's going on?"

Claire exchanges a glance and a grin with Shannon. "It's a surprise." She kisses the baby on the top of its head once, twice, then grabs Charlie's hands. "Come on."

"You remember how to get there?" Shannon calls after them.

"Yeah," Claire shouts back, and then she and Charlie are weaving through trees.

"A surprise, you said." Charlie grabs her waist, pulls her back against him for a second. Buries his nose in her hair. "A good surprise, then."

Claire leans against him. "Yeah." Then she whirls, pulls him into a kiss.

He smiles against her mouth, bends his head. With this, at least, they've had plenty of practice.

When they break apart, taking slow, deep breaths, Charlie laughs softly. "A very good surprise."

Claire nods, and they resume their walk. She looks at the trees speculatively, finally spots the tree marked with the pattern of scars Shannon described. "Here it is."

They emerge from the trees and into a secluded portion of the beach, flanked with trees on one side, and rocks on the other.

Charlie looks around, whistles, low. "Sayid's been holding out on me."

"What?" Claire punches him in the arm.

Charlie darts away, then back, grabs her by the wrists. "You're not the only one making plans," he laughs, and bends to kiss her again.

"Mmmm," she responds, sliding her hands under his T-shirt, over his chest. Arches her fingers, and he groans when her nails scrape against his skin.

He works a hand into her hair, turns his attention to her ear, her neck. "We should have brought a blanket," he mutters against her throat.

Claire pulls away. "Ah." She brings his hands to the knot of her skirt, lets him tug it apart. The material falls off her hips, and she raises a hand at his questioning look. She takes the cloth, unfolds it twice, holds it by the corners and snaps it in the air. The cloth floats to the ground, transformed from a skirt into a sheet the size of a tablecloth.

Charlie applauds. "I'm impressed."

"You," Claire says, stepping onto the cloth and drawing him onto it as well, "haven't seen anything yet."

"Really?" he murmurs.

"Really," she replies.

They don't talk much, after that.

_iii. agape_

They reappear on the main beach a couple of hours later, skin flushed and hair dripping from a quick swim in the ocean.

Shannon waves at them from under Sayid's canopy, lifts the baby.

Claire already has her arms extended when they reach the shelter. "There's my baby," she croons. "Hungry yet?"

Shannon stretches her arms, slouches against Sayid's shoulder. "He got a little fussy for a while."

"Yeah?" Claire settles on the sand, and the baby starts to root. Charlie grabs a spare blanket at Sayid's direction, drapes it over her shoulder so she can feed the baby.

"Sayid wouldn't change the diaper," Shannon rolls her eyes, "so we got Sun to do it."

Claire laughs. "You're kidding."

"She used aloe," Sayid interjects. "She thinks it will help prevent rashes."

"Brilliant," Charlie says, and he kneels next to Claire, strokes the baby's ankle where it sticks out from under the blanket.

"Also," Sayid continues, "the baby likes to hear Shannon sing."

Shannon blushes. "Babies like music, don't they?"

Charlie grins. "This one does. What'd you sing?"

"The Beatles, mostly," Shannon replies. "And some Sugar Ray."

"What?" Charlie barks, indignant.

Claire tunes out the subsequent argument, focuses on the baby, and Charlie's arm around her shoulders.

The sun cools, sets, and Sayid leaves momentarily to stoke the signal fire. When he returns, Jack's with him, and Sun.

They sit in a circle, talk about music, food, and family.

Claire smiles, for no particular reason.

It's been a good day.


End file.
